Little by Little
by zaara26
Summary: For those who think Lisbon is not given so much attention, this may be an answer to your complaint. This story is about how Jane and Lisbon relate to each other...sweet moments and lots of chemistry. DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters if I did, Jane would have kissed Lisbon by now except for any that I make up...Enjoy and please give it chance. R and R please...
1. Chapter 1

"So, what do you think?" Lisbon asked as she watched Jane lean over the body. Jane continued to sniff over the body and touch the neck.

"Well, rich woman who is having an affair. Battered by her husband, had an affair to get a bit of happiness." Jane concluded with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Really? How so?" Lisbon asked as she tilted her head.

"Well, rich because of the necklace she is wearing…it's a gold chain with a diamond. Look at her wrist…" he pointed as Lisbon looked on. There was a bracelet which had rubies and emeralds placed on it. Lisbon nodded in agreement.

"How is she having an affair?" Lisbon asked.

"Look at her ring finger…" Jane said. Indeed, there was a faded strip that showed the spot where she had worn a ring for long time but it was no longer there.

"The marriage could have just ended…" Lisbon reasoned out. Jane shook his head.

"Her ring is in her pocket…" Jane replied and smiled as Lisbon confirmed.

"And how about battered woman part?" Lisbon asked, yet again, challenging him.

"She has defence wounds on her knuckles. And look at her hands and thighs. There are blood clots everywhere. Look at her face also…can you see finger marks made? He slapped her." Jane concluded. Lisbon tensed up at that revelation. That didn't go unnoticed to Jane. She looked deep in thought.

"Hey boss!" Rigsby interrupted her train of thought. She looked up as he joined them. "The victim's name is Valerie Brookes: 29 years and married…although she had petitioned for divorce. Spouse's name is James LeBryn. He is currently on a business trip to Brazil and Sac PD have talked to him. He is flying back as we speak. Our victim owns a designer boutique named 'Vals' and according to her friend, Melanie Shields, who found her here, she was having troubles with her husband. It was an abusive relationship." He concluded. Jane turned to look at Lisbon with a triumphant look. Lisbon narrowed her eyes at him.

"I always tell you that you should trust me. You never listen." Jane complained.

"Yeah yeah…" Lisbon said and rolled her eyes while shrugging.

"Bring Melanie in for questioning…" Lisbon told Rigsby. Cho walked towards them. "Cho, have the M.E examine the body and determine the cause and time of death." They both muttered 'Yes boss' and walked away. Lisbon and Jane walked towards their car. Lisbon dialled Van Pelt's number.

"Boss…" Van Pelt answered.

"Van pelt, I need you to look through Valerie Brookes' phone records and bank accounts. Look for anything suspicious. We are heading back to the office." Lisbon said and cut the phone.

"Can I drive?" Jane asked playfully. Lisbon sighed and looked at him. He feigned puppy dog eyes.

"Awww…" Lisbon exclaimed as she held out her car keys and went over to him. He held out his hand to take the key but just as he was about to grab it, she swiftly turned around and said "yeah, in your dreams…" and sat in the driver's seat. Jane stood rooted to the spot in disappointment. Lisbon started the engine and drove towards him. She stopped next to him and asked "Do you want an invitation card?" Jane shrugged and was about to say something witty when Lisbon interrupted. "Ok, get yourself a ride back to the office…" and started driving off.

"Hey! Come on Lisbon!" Jane shouted and Lisbon braked and smiled at herself before turning to look back at him.

"Hurry up Jane. We don't have all day!" She said. Jane jogged to the passenger side of the car and sat inside.

"You know, your size and face are terribly misleading. People would think you are a harmless little rabbit…" Jane commented and that made Lisbon smile.

"Now you know better…" she teased as Jane raised his eyebrow. They then drove off.


	2. Chapter 2

"Lisbon, James LeBryn is in interrogation room 1. Should I take him?" Van Pelt asked as she entered Lisbon's office. Lisbon shook her head and answered that she will interrogate him herself. Van Pelt nodded and left the office. Lisbon turned and looked at Jane who was sitting on his favourite spot on the couch.

"Let's go…" she motioned to him by tilting her head towards the direction of the interrogation room as she stood up herself. Jane nodded and followed her. They made their way, side by side, towards the interrogation room.

"Terry dear!" someone shouted from behind them. Lisbon stopped dead on her tracks as her eyes widened in terror. Jane noticed that she was no longer walking next to him and he stopped and turned to look behind at her.

"Oh God no!" Lisbon exclaimed, still staring straight ahead of her in shock as she subconsciously gripped the crucifix around her neck. Jane slowly walked to her, confusion evident on his face.

"Terry?" The person said again. Jane looked over Lisbon's head to find an old woman clutching her purse walking towards them. Her hair was all white probably from her age and was neatly tied up in a bun. She wore a brown colour sweater over a short dress that covered her knees. She was wearing flat sandals and she walked with the help of a walking stick which she carefully held in her left hand. Jane looked at Lisbon again as she met his eyes. Then she turned swiftly with a stiff smile on her face.

"Aunt Nettie!" Lisbon exclaimed as she looked at the woman in front of her. The old woman smiled at her but Jane noticed an almost evil look tug at the corner of her mouth.

"Come and give this old aunt of yours a hug!" The woman told Lisbon. Lisbon gulped, still holding the stiff smile on her face and went over to the woman and hugged her. Lisbon's smile wiped away as she found herself in the woman's embrace. She looked up at the roof, almost like she wanted to know why God was playing such a cruel joke with her. As the woman broke the hug, the plastic smile appeared once again on Lisbon's face. She refused to let go of Lisbon and gently tapped on her cheek.

"Look at you! All grown up and…still as small as my walking stick!" the woman said as she finally let Lisbon go and held out her stick symbolically.

"Thank you Aunt Nettie. Always a pleasure…" Lisbon breathed out. "And you still look as elegant as ever!" Lisbon added with forced politeness.

"Oh honey, I have always admired how you lie with such conviction." Aunt Nettie said emotionlessly and turned to look at Jane, who was standing clueless, smiling as he was fascinated by the way this old woman irked Lisbon. "My! I must say I am impressed at how you landed such a magnificent looking man…" she continued saying as she made her way towards Jane, holding out her hand. Jane took her hand and shook it respectfully as he smiled. Then she turned to look at Lisbon, whose face turned from a pale white to a tinge of pink. But her eyes said it all. A mixture of anger, embarrassment and shock showed in turns. "You have exceeded my expectations, dear. I didn't expect you to be with such a handsome man! What did you do to get him, huh?" She continued. "Come on dear, share the secret. Whatever it is, he has already fallen for it. Or is it how I seduced your uncle Matthew? You know the way I…" she continued.

"Aunt Nettie…" Lisbon interrupted irritably as she quickly made her way to where Jane and her aunt were standing. "He is not my…" she lacked the appropriate words. "I am not dating him, or anyone for that matter. He is my work colleague and a CBI consultant." Lisbon finished off with seemingly an air of confidence.

"With how you turned all shades of pink and red at the mention of him? I doubt that. I can always tell when all you kids are lying. Especially you!" Aunt Nettie mentioned and stressed the 'especially you' part of her sentence. Lisbon blinked in disbelief as she looked at Jane, her eyes desperately calling out for help. Jane smiled cheekily as he shrugged. Lisbon glared at him. Jane feigned a scared expression on his face, turned to look at the woman and smiled politely.

"She is right, ma'am. We are just colleagues." Jane reconfirmed. The woman's eyes narrowed at that revelation and then went back to normal.

"If you say so, my dear. And, it is Petunia for you. Not ma'am. I have a feeling we will be seeing each other much more in future." The woman said and Jane looked at her amusedly.

"Aunt Nettie! What are you doing here?" Lisbon asked quickly.

"How rude, Teresa! Won't you welcome your auntie to perhaps…" She started speaking and then she looked around and saw Lisbon's office. "Perhaps to your office?" she finished as she made her way to the office. Lisbon was left behind with her mouth wide open and Jane's eyes twinkled as he smiled at Lisbon. Lisbon looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Stop smiling, Jane." She said as Jane smiled even wider and shrugged. Lisbon glared at him and followed her aunt into her office.

"Hmmm…" Aunt Nettie reacted as if she was bored. She looked around the office disapprovingly.

"What does that 'hmmm' mean?" Lisbon asked, feigning curiosity but inside, she was wondering how else her aunt will embarrass her.

"Oh…you grew only in age. Your taste is still the same: Boring and monotonous." She replied and looked at Lisbon in accusation.

"My taste is not boring. It's just…" Lisbon started defending herself, "comfortable…" she ended in a low tone as she looked around her office. A photo frame with a picture of herself and her brothers stood solely on the counter. On her work desk was a photo of her mother. A small vase was placed on the right side of the desk. On the left was a small flag of America. In the middle was her computer that she used to work with.

"Mmmm…yeah." Aunt Nettie said and looked at Lisbon in pity. She then reached out for Lisbon's hair and flipped it roughly. "Why don't you do something with this hair of yours? It's so dull and lifeless."

"Nothing is wrong with my hair." Lisbon said as she snatched the strand of her hair from her aunt's hand and crossed her hands across her chest. "Again I ask, what are you doing here at CBI Headquarters? You definitely didn't come to see me. So, let's just cut to the chase and talk about the main issue." Lisbon said gravely.

"Fine." Aunt Nettie nodded. Lisbon noticed her eyes suddenly become sad. "I got a call from Sacramento Police Department. They told me that Valerie is dead." She finished off shakily. Lisbon's eyebrows scrunched.

"How do you know Valerie Brookes?" Lisbon asked, suddenly interested.

"She…uhhh…remember the girl child I gave up for adoption years ago?" aunt Nettie asked.

"Yeah…" Lisbon affirmed.

"Well…she…" Aunt Nettie began with a shaky voice.

"Is Valerie your daughter?" Lisbon asked in shock. Aunt Nettie nodded slowly.

"She contacted me about 6 years ago. She said she had been searching for her biological mother. And we have been in touch ever since." Aunt Nettie explained as she looked down at her trembling hands. When she looked up at Lisbon, her eyes were full of tears that threatened to spill and indeed they spilled.

"Oh no. I am so sorry…" Lisbon attempted to comfort the lady as she stretched out to drag a chair and guided her aunt to sit on it. She placed a comforting hand on her aunt's shoulder.

"Lisbon." Jane gently called out as he knocked on her office door. "What about James LeBryn?" He asked as he held on to the door handle and leaned inside.

"Yeah. Coming…" Lisbon said as she started walking towards the door.

"James is here?" Aunt Nettie exclaimed and started walking towards Lisbon. Lisbon nodded. "I would like to meet him." She finished off with a request.

"Yes. But only after we interrogate him." Lisbon answered. Aunt Nettie nodded and went back to her seat. "I will let you know once we are done with him." She concluded and followed Jane as they both walked out towards the interrogation room.

"She knows our suspect?" Jane asked as they continued walking.

"Yeah. Our victim is my aunt's daughter that she gave up for adoption as soon as she gave birth to her. She didn't want any more children. She was always scared of kids. God knows how she managed to raise her first born, Tara." Lisbon commented with a bit of a smirk.

"She just lost her daughter. Why don't you show some compassion?" Jane asked as they turned around the corridor.

"Oh! Look who's talking!" Lisbon exclaimed as she stopped at the door to the interrogation room.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jane asked, as if he was offended.

"Who asks the spouse of a dead person if they killed their spouse? Who traps people into admitting their guilt, most of them not guilty? Who…" Lisbon asked.

"Ok Lisbon. Let's not lose focus here. We need to prove James did it."

"And you know this how?" Lisbon inquired.

"Come on! His wife was having an affair. He was physically abusing her. How oblivious can you get?" Jane asked in shock.

"He was not in the country for the past 2 weeks!" Lisbon reasoned out in disbelief.

"Still doesn't prove anything! He could have delegated that job to someone. Jeez Lisbon! Who gave you your investigating licence?" Jane screamed as he entered the interrogation room. Lisbon narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop glaring at my back and follow me." Jane said. Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Rolling your eyes won't help either." Jane said. Lisbon looked at Jane in shock.

"Don't get shocked. I have told you so many times that I have excess to your innermost thoughts!" Jane said.

"How do you do that?" Lisbon asked in irritation but awe also.

"It's my secret. Now come on!" Jane turned behind to look at Lisbon who then followed him in.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, when did you find out about your wife's death?" Lisbon asked James LeBryn as Jane looked on intently at him.

"It was yesterday. I immediately got a flight back as soon as my brother Martin called me." Replied James. He looked distraught. He had not shaved in a long time and his clothes looked like they weren't ironed. His eyes were red, probably from lack of sleep. However, Jane looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"And how did Martin know?" Lisbon asked, almost pitying the poor man. After all, he had lost his wife.

"He told me some police guy called him." James said as his voice cracked. Lisbon's heart almost went out to him.

"Here…have some water." She said as she stretched out to hand him a bottle of water. James held out his hand to receive it when Jane suddenly snatched the bottle out of Lisbon's hand. "Jane!" she exclaimed at that. James also looked at Jane in surprise.

"He will get the water after he tells us what he has done." Jane said in a dangerously low tone.

"What do you mean?" James asked and looked at Jane, panic flashing in his eyes.

"I am right. Either you have killed your wife or you cheated on her as well. This look in your eye tells me you have done something really bad and you are playing this heartbroken spouse so that people do not suspect you." Jane reasoned out.

"Excuse me?" James said in anger.

"It might work with some gullible people, like our agent Lisbon here…" Jane said as Lisbon interrupted with an exasperated "Jane!" but he ignored her and continued, "But you cannot fool me. Tell me, what have you done? How did you kill her?"

"Agent Lisbon, is this the way you treat people who have lost their loved ones?" James asked at an angry Lisbon.

"I am so sorry Mr LeBryn. He is our consultant. It is his job to look at all ends of the situation."

"I understand but you should also consider people's emotions before you talk to them like this. I can sue you for this." James said haughtily.

"Mr LeBryn, I assure you…" Lisbon began talking, trying to mend the already spoilt situation.

"Oh please James! You are too guilty to do something of that sort. You know it yourself that you are guilty. Come on Lisbon, he is of no help to us." Jane said as he began walking out of the room but then suddenly stopped and turned around and said "And you will not get this bottle of water because you have been a bad boy." Jane finished in a fake teasing tone. He then looked at Lisbon and walked out. James turned to look at Lisbon who got up from her chair and looked at him apologetically and walked out, almost running to catch up with Jane.

"Jane! What the hell was that?" she yelled as she caught up with him.

"He is hiding something from us. Either he killed his wife or he has done something wrong. I can tell." Jane said as they both started walking to Lisbon's office.

"And what was that with my being gullible?" Lisbon asked as she made her way to her desk but stopped a step short from her chair and looked at Jane. Jane turned from where he was eyeing his sofa in an internal battle about whether he should sit on it or not. He slowly made his way to where Lisbon was standing and stood dangerously close to her. She looked up at him in expectation. She could feel his breath on her face as he came even closer, him eyeing her lips and then looking at her in the eyes. Her look softened and it was like she was in trance. He slowly moved his face to her left ear and whispered "Teresa, you are soooo…" he began as his hot breath fell on her ear and the side of her neck. She could feel the hair raising on her back as she slightly tilted her head to almost but not touching his head next to hers. Her lips were slightly apart as her eyes almost fluttered close. He could see the goosebumps she was getting and how her heart was racing. For Lisbon, everything stood still at that moment. It was like he had her under his spell. He slowly retreated and finished his sentence "…gullible." and as soon as he said that, it was like the spell was broken. She blinked profusely in embarrassment as her face turned pink. Jane retreated further and gave her a teasing smile. Lisbon swallowed painfully and briefly looked at the floor. And then when she looked up, her eyes showed full consciousness.

"You son of a bitch…you hypnotised me!" she started as she lifted a stapler from her desk and held it up in readiness to throw it at him.

"Ah ah…language Lisbon. I didn't hypnotise you. I swear. And you might want to put down that stapler. You proved yourself how gullible you are." He said truthfully and held out both his hands in the air feigning surrender. Lisbon slowly lowered her hand. He smiled proudly as he walked to the door and then turned behind to look at Lisbon. "I am glad to see that I have this sort of effect on you." He said and winked at her and he rushed out of the door as he saw anger flashing in her eyes and her hand holding the stapler suddenly lifting in attack. Lisbon lodged the stapler at him in air, but she realized she was too late as the stapler banged on the door that he had just closed and fell on the floor. Jane turned behind from the sound of the impact and looked at Lisbon, smiling triumphantly.

"I hate you Jane!" she yelled at him from inside her office as his smile grew wider. He then walked away but he briefly turned behind and peeked to see her lifting the stapler from the ground and putting it back on her desk. She then made her way to her chair and sat on it slowly, almost lost in thought. Then her lips broke into a small smile as she went on to peruse a file on her desk, gently shaking her head. That smile was infectious as Jane found himself smile in the same fashion as he slowly made his way to the bullpen to the rest of the team.


	4. Chapter 4

HI GUYS, THIS IS CHAPTER 4…YOU MAY FIND THAT I HAVE RUSHED WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE CASE. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. I WAS EXCITED TO GET TO THE PERSONAL STUFF ON LISBON.

HOPE YOU ENJOY!

"You can come in, Aunt Nettie…" Lisbon said as she dragged her aunt's luggage with her into her house. Aunt Nettie walked in as she looked around the house. Lisbon stopped dragging the luggage and looked back at her aunt, carefully thinking of ways in which she can criticize her taste in furniture and other upholstery in the living room.

"Hmmm…as simple as your office…" Aunt Nettie commented as she kept on looking around. Lisbon let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. She dragged the luggage up the stairs where her aunt was supposed to stay for a couple of days. Her aunt followed her up and walked into the guest bedroom. There was a double bed in the middle, a bedside table with a simple lamp on it and a wardrobe on the left. Pink floral wallpaper covered the wall. On the right hand side of the wall hung a painting of a white and pink rose on a green background. Covering the floor was a light pink carpet. Towards the left corner was the washroom. Aunt Nettie sat on the bed and looked at Lisbon, who stood at the door on her way out.

"I'll be right back." She said as Aunt Nettie nodded and she walked out. She went down to her kitchen and made chamomile tea…just the way her aunt loved it. Despite all the rivalry she had with her aunt, she still was her relative and she still liked her. She smiled to herself as she carefully made her way upstairs with the cup of tea in her hand. Aunt Nettie was looking outside the window just above her bed.

"Aunt Nettie…" Lisbon called out gently. She turned and looked at Lisbon. "I made you your favourite chamomile tea." She continued as she walked in carefully as she handed the cup to her aunt who readily accepted it with a slight smile.

"I am surprised you still remember…" she said simply as she sipped it and closed her eyes as she inhaled the aroma. Lisbon smiled a little, waiting for her to comment rudely that either there was less sugar or the tea was too hot. "It is nice, Terry." Aunt Nettie said. Lisbon raised her eyebrows in surprise that she didn't complain. However, that surprise was short lived. "But I like mine with a bit of rosemary. You have forgotten that." Lisbon's smile disappeared. "Now, please excuse me. I need to have a shower…" Lisbon walked out slowly and returned the door behind her. She walked towards her room and sighed as she thought to herself that that was going to be the longest 2 days of her life. She lay down flat on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her train of thought led her to think that she was alone in this and she had to take care of her aunt herself. Just then her phone in her pocket vibrated. She quickly reached to her pocket and removed it. The caller ID showed 'Patrick Jane'. Her cheeks felt hot as she looked at his picture and remembered what had happened earlier at the office where Jane was trying to prove her 'alleged' gullibility. She quickly composed herself and pressed the receiving button.

"Yes Jane…" she answered, definitely not excited about it.

"Well, hello to you too." Jane answered playfully.

"Jane, what is it?" Lisbon was in no mood of playing around.

"Why so serious?" is everything ok?" He sounded concerned.

"No. everything is ok…" Lisbon's voice softened as she realized she was being rude.

"Is it your aunt? Is she annoying you?" Jane asked.

"No. I mean, not annoying…she just…" Lisbon replied.

"I understand…that is why I called up to check on you. I thought you needed someone to talk to especially after you invited her to stay with you despite not wanting to do so." Jane stated.

"Yeah. But I'll be fine. Don't worry." Lisbon said simply, trying to sound positive. There was a brief silence. Then Jane said:

"Ok then. But call me if there is anything."

"Will do. Thanks. Bye." Lisbon said and cut the phone after hearing Jane say bye too.

***********************AFTER 5 DAYS, LISBON'S HOUSE: ***************************

"Jane? You called?" Lisbon said as Jane picked up. It had been 5 days since the start of the case and since Aunt Nettie had been staying with Lisbon. The case had taken longer to solve and Lisbon had to accommodate her aunt till it was over. She was so tired of the constant complaints that her aunt had regarding Lisbon that she preferred staying at work for longer hours after working hours in order to avoid confrontations with her. Her aunt would complain over every minute issue: Right from having too much oil in the curry or the chicken being too dry that she felt like she could choke on it to how her tea was so bland that she could drink it as water. There was a time she even complained about how lonely Lisbon was and what a mistake she was making by not getting a guy for herself, pointing out much to Lisbon's dismay, her friend's son who was a doctor and was in search for a bride. She complained about how boring Lisbon's clothes were and how she lacked a sense of style. Every minute spent with her aunt resulted into hundreds of complaints from her. She was so tired of the arguments that her aunt presented every day that for one night, she had slept on her couch in her office. Lisbon was of view that her aunt simply hated her and doted on her own daughter who was married to a real estate agent, who was very rich, who had a sense of style, who was high in the social circle, who had a great figure and amazing hair. Her aunt's constant comparison of Lisbon with her cousin Tara annoyed Lisbon very much. She was so frustrated sometimes, that she would think of drowning her sorrow in drinks. But Jane was always there to discourage her to drink. "Sorry I missed your call. I was driving." Lisbon continued and sighed. She was really tired. Her aunt had said hurtful things last night about how if she had her mother, she would have turned out to be a better lady. She had slept at 4 in the morning after crying herself to sleep. She was already up at 6 for work.

"It's ok Lisbon. I need you to come to James LeBryn's home as soon as you can."

"Why?" Lisbon asked.

"I have a plan to catch the killer." Jane said and he cut the phone. Lisbon drove off fast. After about 10 minutes, she parked her car outside James' house. She walked out of her car and walked to the main entrance. As she got up the steps, she felt someone pull her by her hand. She resisted the force and twisted the arm that pulled her and tackled the person to the floor. She reached out to her holster but saw familiar blond hair and heard a familiar 'OUCH LISBON' being whispered and she quickly let go of the hand.

"Jane!" Lisbon blurted out as she leaned down to help him up.

"Yes Lisbon, it's me! Can you for once stop acting like a ninja?" Jane said irritatingly. "And why do you look so tired?" He finished off with an air of curiosity.

"I am sorry. How am I supposed to react if someone grabs me like that? And I didn't sleep well last night." Lisbon defended herself as she caught his hand, trying to apply pressure to the wrist where a bruise was visible.

"It's ok…Shhh…" Jane whispered as he put his finger on his lip and directed Lisbon to look at Melanie Shields who was walking fast to the front door of James' house. He got hold of Lisbon's hand and jumped to the shrub nearby. Melanie impatiently knocked on the door. After a few seconds, James opened the door and once he saw Melanie, he hugged her and kissed her on her lips passionately before cautiously looking around and guiding her inside the house. Lisbon looked at Jane in puzzlement as Jane smiled at her. "I knew there was something going on with them the moment James reacted nervously when I mentioned that Melanie was the murderer yesterday."

Indeed he was right. The previous day, they had found evidence of a large sum of money transferred from James' bank account to that of Melanie. They then called in James for interrogation again and Melanie was called too. Melanie looked relieved at the notion of James being the murderer but James became all clammed up and started defending Melanie, her being Valerie's best friend and all.

"But Melanie had nothing good to say about James. She definitely does not like James from how she told us that she suspected him of killing Valerie. What is this?" Lisbon asked, referring to James and Melanie kissing.

"Think about it. James transfers a huge amount of money to Melanie. Melanie said she wouldn't be surprised that James would be the killer. James however defends Melanie. But here they are, kissing and behaving like they are lovers. Why would they do that?" Jane recapped. Lisbon looked at the ground thoughtfully and suddenly it hit her. She looked up at Jane unbelievably.

"They are both involved in Valerie's murder…" she said as Jane nodded. "James funded the killing while Melanie hired the shooter."

"Yes, the shooter being Gabriel Shepherd, who decided not to talk about Melanie when we interrogated him. He clearly recognized her. James might have told him not to tell us that it was Melanie who gave him the money." Jane reasoned. They had traced the money to Melanie's account that was given to her by James, which was subsequently transferred to Gabriel.

"But only part of it was transferred to Gabriel. Why not the whole amount?" Lisbon asked.

"She kept part of that money for herself. Melanie doesn't love James. She was in this the whole time for the money. She tried to talk Valerie into divorcing James because she told her that James was having an affair." Jane said.

"And she told James that Valerie was having an affair…" Lisbon stated in realization. Jane nodded again.

"She used that as an excuse to get close to James. But when James sought to marry her, she said she would feel guilty for marrying him by breaking the marriage of her friend. The reason why she didn't want James to divorce Valerie was because Valerie would get a divorce settlement…perhaps half of what James owned." Jane said.

"Melanie wanted all the money to go to her. So she had to find another way out, thus the murder. But why blame James?" Lisbon mused.

"Because James had already transferred all his property to Melanie. She knew that James loved her too much to confess that she was involved as well. She knew James would sacrifice himself for her. She would be set free!" Jane replied.

"She wanted to have it all. She wanted James' money and she wanted to enjoy it alone, so she decided to have him confess so that he can go to jail and she would have all the property for herself." Lisbon thought out loud and Jane nodded yet again in agreement. "Oh my God! Such a bitch!" Lisbon exclaimed. Jane motioned her to lower her voice and suggested they arrest the two of them. Lisbon called Cho and Rigsby for back up and they arrested both James and Melanie. Both of them confessed to have a hand in Valerie's murder. And the truth was just as Lisbon and Jane had reasoned. James was in love with Melanie. She had 'supported' him while Valerie was out having an affair. Valerie, after learning from Melanie that James was having an affair, went out and got herself a boyfriend to show to her husband that she was capable of affairs too. They both had an argument regarding the same and that is when James sought to beating his wife. He then started an affair with Melanie and they then decided to kill Valerie on the day she was going to meet her lover so that the lover could be incriminated. However, the lover, Colin Heffner had an alibi at the time of the murder. He had been running late and he had asked his friend to drop him off to the park where he was meeting up with Valerie. When they got there, they saw her body and ran away, scared. However, Melanie had to make sure the job was done. So she went there to check if Valerie was dead. And once she found her dead, Melanie had called the police and said that Valerie had told her to meet her there in the park at that specific time to introduce Melanie to her boyfriend. James indeed funded the murder and Melanie hired Gabriel to kill Valerie.

"Alright James! The truth!" Lisbon said harshly. They were in the interrogation room. James shook his head arrogantly. "Come on! We know you killed your wife. And we know Melanie was involved too!"

"No!" James shouted in denial.

"It is true!" Lisbon shouted back and looked at Jane, who was looking at James intently. Lisbon turned her attention back to James. "Melanie was never in love with you…she wanted your money. And for that, she destroyed your marriage. You gave her the money to hire a gunman to kill your wife! Admit it!"

"No!" James shouted again and got up from his chair and caught hold of Lisbon harshly by her throat. Lisbon, in shock and fury, gripped his hand and twisted it in the same manner as she did Jane's and tackled him to the ground. James was lying down on his stomach with Lisbon leaning strongly over him, holding both his hands behind his back with her one hand and the other pinning James' head strongly to the ground.

"Try harder next time!" Lisbon growled at him. Jane was in a state of shock himself. Rigsby and Van Pelt burst into the room, Van Pelt holding a gun and Rigsby a handcuff that he used on James. Rigsby was taking James away when Lisbon asked him to seat him back on the chair. "We still need a confession." Then she looked at James who had bruised lips from the tackle and was bleeding and said: "Tell us the truth!" Lisbon said furiously, breathing frantically.

"Yes! Alright! I did it! All because of that bitch! I had no idea she didn't want me but was after my money. She made me believe Val was…" James started talking and then stopped as his voice quivered. Jane looked at Lisbon to see how she reacted to that but Lisbon's face was still as hard as stone. "My wife…I killed her…" he said as he began to cry. Lisbon was still furious. "I am so sorry!" James shouted and cried as he hung his head down in shame.

"Take this miserable son of a bitch away from my face!" Lisbon ordered Rigsby who promptly held James by his hand and dragged him out of the room. Lisbon, still breathing fast, told Van Pelt to bring into the room Melanie. As soon as Van Pelt did that, Lisbon crossed over to Melanie's side of the table and leaned and told her in grave tone: "I want the truth! She said and then shouted: "Now!" as Melanie jerked at that sudden outburst of emotion. Jane raised his eyebrows. He had never seen Lisbon that angry. Lisbon walked back to her place opposite and sat down on the chair. She opened a file that was on the table and removed a photograph of a very much dead Valerie. "Look at your friend. You killed her!" Lisbon said in a threateningly low voice.

"She was not my friend…" Melanie said as her voice trembled with anger. "She was always flaunting her lifestyle at me…perfect husband, lots of money, a designer store…" she said and spit on the ground. "I hated her! She was the one with the perfect life and I was the messed up one…I got tired! Then I decided to take everything away from her! Her money…her husband…" she said and laughed sarcastically, "such a fool…an emotional fool. Believed every word of mine! Trust me, it was easy to get rid of her. Very easy…" she said and looked at Lisbon daringly. "And I don't regret anything!" Lisbon looked at her disgustedly.

"You will rot in jail for the rest of your life, Melanie. And I will see to it, personally…" Lisbon said authoritatively. "Van Pelt, take her away!" Lisbon said angrily. Van Pelt did the same as she dragged Melanie out of the room. There was a brief silence as Lisbon stared at the file in her hand. Jane slowly went and sat on the chair opposite Lisbon's…the chair that was previously occupied by Melanie.

"Nice tackle…" He said light heartedly referring to how Lisbon handled James. "I didn't know your small frame had such tremendous strength. Lisbon looked at him, definitely not amused. Her eyes depicted an internal battle in her. She looked furious and hurt at the same time. That alarmed Jane. "Are you ok?" he asked, definitely concerned. Lisbon shook her head and said: "I can't believe there are these type of people in the world…who would kill their loved ones for money…I am just sad for Valerie…" she said and walked out, leaving Jane in deep thought.


	5. Chapter 5

HI GUYS!

THIS IS A FAIRLY LONG CHAPTER.

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT...

Lisbon's aunt was set to leave the next day. Lisbon had decided that despite all the problems she had with her aunt, she should have one last dinner with her before she left. So she cooked her aunt's favourite Chicken "a la Kiev" and bought a nice bottle of cognac that she knew her aunt would enjoy. Lisbon always thought that she cannot leave things at a bitter note with anyone. And this was her aunt. She was family. So she decided to give it one last shot in the hope that her aunt would approve of her for once.

She set up the table very nicely and added a candle and a rose in a vase in the middle. She laid out the crockery just like the way a restaurant would-all in the name of impressing Aunt Nettie. She then walked up to the guest room where her aunt was almost done packing her stuff.

"You need some help there?" Lisbon asked as she approached her aunt.

"No. I am fine!" Her aunt exclaimed as she turned to look at Lisbon. "You mind knocking?" she then said. Lisbon was taken aback by that and timidly uttered a 'sorry.'

"Ummm…dinner is ready." Lisbon said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Ok… give me a bit of privacy here, please." Her aunt answered sternly. Lisbon opened her mouth to say something but then closed it up, gave her aunt a fake smile and walked out of the room. "Close the door behind you, Teresa!" Her aunt finished off by shouting. Lisbon closed the door. She shut her eyes tight and sighed. She then walked down the stairs and sat on the couch, waiting for her aunt to finish her packing.

Lisbon waited and waited. It had been half an hour and she was hungry. But she dared not to ask her aunt why she was not coming to eat.

Meanwhile, Aunt Nettie zipped up her bag and dragged it to the left side of the bed. She was all set. She was leaving the next day and she could not wait for the moment she stepped out of that house. Teresa was not exactly the best at entertaining. She slowly walked down the stairs and found a tired Lisbon, almost dozing off while watching a baseball game.

"Wake up, Teresa! It has not been as long as you make it to be!" she said out loud and that gave Lisbon a start. She got up scared from the couch, almost knocking over the lamp on the side table. "Careful, clumsy… Some things never change!" Her aunt finished off, disgruntled.

"I am so sorry. I don't know how I dozed off…" Lisbon blurted out excuses as she quickly made her way to the kitchen to heat the food.

"That is bound to happen. I am not exactly your favourite aunt!"

Lisbon appeared with the wine and the glasses in her hand. She set them up on the table and said: "It's not that, Aunt Nettie. I am just very tired. I have had a long day at work today. The bad guys keep on killing people…" Lisbon said as she made her way into the kitchen because the microwave dinged. The chicken was heated. She put on her mittens and carried the hot dish to the table.

"Is this chicken a la Kiev?" Aunt Nettie spoke up as she saw the dish.

"Yes…" Lisbon said and nodded. She put the dish on the table triumphantly and she found herself smiling widely at her aunt. "I know it is your favourite dish. Hope you like it."

"Mmmm…I hope so too." Aunt Nettie said mockingly as she eyed the chicken critically while slowly seating herself on the chair. Lisbon ignored her aunt for the umpteenth time and went back to the kitchen to bring the bowl of salad. She then sat down opposite her aunt and served her some chicken. Aunt Nettie cut into the chicken with her knife and poked at it with her fork. Lisbon's eyebrows scrunched in wonder. "Looks dry…" she said and went on to put a piece of the chicken in her mouth. Lisbon watched in anticipation as her aunt chewed. "It is chewy…are you sure you cooked it well? The last thing I want is raw poultry in my mouth!"

"Ummm…I think it is ok. I am sure I cooked it as it was required." Lisbon defended herself.

"Hmmm…weird." Aunt Nettie said and then went on to cut another piece and placed it in her mouth. "Yeah…I think some bits are undercooked, Teresa. I think you should call up Tara and ask her how she makes it. She is very good at it. Although I don't blame you, you poor thing. A girl without a mother is normally lacking in some aspects." She finished off haughtily. Lisbon's jaw squared up as she balled her fists in anger. She swallowed some of her pieces of chicken, which were absolutely cooked and definitely tasted good. She forced the chicken down her throat with a swish of wine. She was very upset. She could feel a lump forming in her throat.

"Would you like me to order something else for you from outside?" Lisbon asked as she tried to control her anger.

"No dear. I am not heartless. You prepared this meal by yourself. I don't have the heart to criticize it." She said with an air of arrogance. Lisbon blinked her eyes and stiffly went back to eating the chicken. "So, Teresa…that was a great job finding the killer. I cannot believe it was James and that slut of a thing that he called 'the love of his life'."

"Yeah…quite a surprise James gave us. Who would have known it was him all this time?" Lisbon replied, eager to get normal conversation on the table.

"Yeah…Patrick did a great job on the case. I don't know what you would have done if it weren't for him."

"Ummm…I think everyone on my team worked very hard on this case, Aunt Nettie. Sure, Jane is an asset but it's not always him. We do our own work and based on the collaboration of his intellect and our hard work, we solve cases successfully." Lisbon defended, trying not to sound upset.

"Oh dear. That is not what I meant. I know you do so much to solve crimes as well." Aunt Nettie replied, as she gave Lisbon a half smile. "Let me ask you something…do you like this Patrick Jane?"

Lisbon choked on the chicken that she was eating. She quickly reached for some water and flushed it down her throat. Aunt Nettie stared at her in amazement.

"I am sorry…you caught me off-guard with that question…" Lisbon quickly explained as she dubbed on her lips using a napkin.

"Yes…it appears to be so." Aunt Nettie said. "So…do you like him?" she went on as she studied Lisbon.

"No…no…Jane is a…colleague. Like a friend…it would be very weird if there was anything…I mean…Jane and I…we…uhhh..." Lisbon struggled to explain as nervousness and panic hit her.

"It seems to me from the way you reacted that you really like him…" Aunt Nettie said, emphasis clearly placed on the word 'really'.

"No No…you are mistaken. We are just friends…" Lisbon attempted to explain.

"You don't have to struggle with the explanations. I have an opinion of everyone I have seen working on your team. The red head and the tall one…sparks flying there…and the Chinese one…the one with the short name…he seems to be focussed. And then there is Patrick. A charmer, really. Ladies love him, don't they?" She said as she sipped the wine. "And you are no exception…"

"Aunt Nettie…I do not…" Lisbon started.

"It's ok…It would be a wonder if you were to go out with him…you know, considering your 'outgoing' personality…" Aunt Nettie interrupted. Lisbon sighed again and got prepared for another round of insults. "You know…Teresa, dear, I pity you very much. You have a problem…and you know what it is?" Lisbon looked at her with narrowed eyes. She could feel the anger building up in her. "You are very…ummm…how do I say it in a nice way…stiff! You don't like changes, you don't want to improve your way of life, you do not pay attention to your looks…and you think you have it all. But you don't. You are very 'Teresa Lisbon-ish!' Look at my daughter, Tara…she has a rich husband, 2 beautiful children, a good social life and a house to die for! That is the life to live."

Lisbon's heart was racing so much that she could feel it was going to come out of her chest at any time. Anger and frustration was piling up in her. She swallowed hard and took deep breaths to control herself.

"But I don't blame you. I blame your mother…" Aunt Nettie said and that caught Lisbon's attention. She felt that her head was going to explode. She gripped the ends of the table cloth in an attempt to calm herself down. "She should have taught you some things about grooming yourself. I know she is dead and all…but there are some responsibilities that a parent has towards her children. Your mother, I am sorry to say, did not fulfil any of those resp…"

"Just shut up." Lisbon said, dangerously slow. She narrowed her eyes at her aunt and slowly got up from her chair.

"Excuse me?" Her aunt said as she put down her glass of wine in surprise.

"I asked you to keep your mouth shut…" Lisbon said firmly, trying to stop herself desperately from shouting.

"Did you just ask me to…?" Aunt Nettie started.

"Yes I did. And if you don't stop talking right now, I will be forced to forget that we are related." Lisbon whispered angrily.

"Teresa Lisbon! I am utterly perplexed by this behaviour! Is this what your mother taught you…?" She said but Lisbon interrupted.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that. One more word about her and God help me, I will take this to another level…"

"Are you threatening me?" Aunt Nettie asked treacherously.

"Yes I am! I am just tired of your complaints!" Lisbon now started shouting. "The bed is too hard, the pillow is not fluffed up, the window is too small, the stair cases are too high! Ever since you walked into my house, I have heard nothing but criticisms! Teresa, your hair is flat…you have lifeless skin, you are stiff, you have boring taste, you don't have a social life…look at my daughter Tara…she has this, she has that…what the hell do you think I am?" Lisbon exclaimed as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Don't you use that tone on me, young woman!" Aunt Nettie started.

"What tone? I am so tired of the same old mocking that you do about me. And that is as far as it goes. I have been tolerating this as long as you kept it to me. But no, you had to include my mother in your insults! Your own sister!"

"This is very disrespectful of you, Teresa!"

"Disrespect? Isn't that what you are doing by talking ill about my mother who is dead? My mother was the best mother as long as she was alive and you have no right to talk about her like she was at fault!" Lisbon shouted, tears now flowing from her eyes.

"My daughter Tara would never talk to me like this…"

"Your daughter, Tara is not here with us! Stop comparing me to her! We are two very different people! I am who I am. And you have to accept me the way I am!" Lisbon cried as she felt heat radiating in her body. She was so furious; she could feel steam coming out from her. She had turned all red and she was shaking in anger. She rushed to the stair cases in the view of going up to her room but stopped in the middle and turned to look back at her aunt, who was standing in the middle of the room, breathing heavily from anger. "You know why I am not like Tara? Because my mum died and left me alone to take care of my three brothers and my drunk father! And you know why I am stiff and boring? Because I don't like changes! I hate changes. My mother went out for grocery shopping one fine evening and never returned! My life changed overnight and that change was change enough to last me a lifetime and turn me into who I am! I would have been a better woman, if my mother's only sister, my Aunt Nettie, would have been there to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be ok and I didn't have to worry about anything because she would be right there by my side!" Lisbon cried loudly now. She went down two steps on the stairs and said: "I was waiting for you…you were the only family I knew…but you never came! I took care of my brothers, Aunt Nettie, and I know I did one hell of a job doing that!" she pointed to herself and then said: "But I needed someone to take care of me while I took care of my brothers! And you weren't there!" she pointed at her aunt, who stared at her in horror, tears in her eyes too. "So don't you dare blame my mother for anything! If it were not for the values she instilled in me, my brothers would have been long dead courtesy of my abusive father! And that is why I am Teresa Lisbon!" Lisbon said out loud and wiped her tears off angrily and rushed up the stairs. She ran into her room, sobbing uncontrollably and banged the door shut behind her.

Aunt Nettie stared at the empty space that Lisbon had occupied a few seconds ago and retreated slowly and sat on her chair with a thud. She reached out for her napkin shakily and wiped her tears off, paving way for fresh ones to fall. She slowly covered her face with her hands and wept silently. She felt like her world had just been shattered.

Lisbon entered her room in a hurry and sat down heavily on her bed. She turned to look at the picture frame of her mother on her bedside unit, next to the lamp. She took it in her hand and looked at her mother's face with tears in her eyes. She said to her mother softly that she missed her very much and that she felt very lovely. That night, she slept very late. The only thing she remembered is that she cried for a very long time before sleep took over and she dreamt about her mother telling her that she was not alone and that her mother was always there with her. It oddly soothed her, seeing her mother in her dream.

-The NEXT DAY-

Aunt Nettie opened her eyes. She felt like a rock had hit her on her head. Her eyes burned from all the crying that she did the previous night. She turned to look at her alarm clock on the side. She still had about 15 minutes before the alarm would go off. She turned the alarm button off and carefully put her legs down to the side of the bed. She looked at the window outside and it was a bright day. She rubbed her face with her bare hands and it felt sticky. She sighed and went into the bathroom for a hot shower.

Lisbon woke up with a start as her alarm went off. She got up tiredly and went for a shower. After that, she clipped on her badge to her waist and put her gun in the holster. She then picked up her car keys and put them in her pocket. She walked out of her room and as she made her way towards the stairs, she passed the guest room. She stopped and stared at the door for a bit. Then she slowly walked towards it and held up her hand to knock but decided otherwise. She turned around and made her way downstairs.

Aunt Nettie did see a shadow under the door and she knew it was her niece. She smiled sadly but almost suddenly, that smile disappeared as she remembered what Teresa had told her the previous night. She realized that Teresa may not consider her as her aunt anymore. That saddened her immensely. She walked to the door and opened it up to see whether Lisbon was around, but she wasn't. She figured that she must be in her room. So she walked to Lisbon's room. She peeked in through the door and didn't see her. Just as she was about to turn back, something caught her attention. It was her sister Martha's picture: Lisbon's mother. She blinked and walked in slowly. She made her way to Lisbon's bed and looked at Martha's picture closely and took it in her hand while she sat on the bed. She gently brushed her fingers on Martha's face in the frame and reached up to wipe her own tears.

"She is just like you, Martha. Just like you…" she said and her words trailed off. Emotions took over and she wept silently, hugging her sister's picture.

Lisbon was sipping on her coffee when she saw her aunt walk down the stairs, struggling to drag her luggage down. Lisbon quickly put down her coffee mug and rushed to help her aunt. She swiftly went up the stairs and took the bag from her aunt.

"It's ok…" Aunt Nettie managed to say in a low tone but stopped as she tried to judge from Lisbon's demeanour whether she was still mad or not. Lisbon put the bag down on the side and went into the kitchen and brought back a kettle in which she had made tea for her aunt. She poured the tea in a cup and went back to the kitchen to bring back omelette that she had made, once again, for her aunt. Aunt Nettie slowly walked to her chair and sat on it, all the while observing Lisbon's face as she carried on with her activities. She was trying to judge what Lisbon was feeling towards her and that was how she was going to start the conversation. She watched again as Lisbon sat at the table, sipping her coffee and eating her toast painfully. She looked at her piping hot cup of tea, lifted it in her hand and inhaled it. A soothing smell hit her nose. She looked up at Lisbon with twinkling eyes.

"Lavender?" She asked Lisbon, with a warm smile on her face. Lisbon looked up from her plate from which she had just managed to finish her toast and then avoided her eyes. She pursed her lips and looked away, without answering. Aunt Nettie noticed that and said: "Teresa, whatever happened yest…" She began but Lisbon immediately got up from her chair and took her plate and mug to the kitchen. She returned, maintaining a stone face and said:

"I have called a cab for you. You have about an hour before it gets here. I have packed some sandwiches for you for the road…" She trailed off and looked at her aunt with soft eyes. "Have a safe journey back home…" she finished and started walking towards the door.

"Teresa, we have to talk. I wanted to…" Aunt Nettie started, desperately trying to put her point across.

"I have to go. I am getting late for work." Lisbon said as she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

"Terry, please…" She called out desperately. Hearing her arrogant Aunt Nettie whimper like that shattered her heart. She found, much to her surprise, tears forming in her eyes…and she wondered why. After whatever her aunt said to her, why did she have to feel the pain? "Please…just for a few minutes. I don't know when I will see you again." That made Lisbon swallow painfully and blink back her tears as she turned back to look at her aunt, who was sitting on the couch now. Lisbon shook her head and cursed herself for being so emotional. She went to where her aunt was and stood there impatiently, arms crossed across her chest. "Please sit…" Her aunt said as she patted to a spot next to her. Lisbon angrily sat down but a little further. Then her aunt turned to look at her and Lisbon saw right before her, a miracle. Her arrogant Aunt Nettie had tears in her eyes. Lisbon studied her face in awe as she saw her aunt age overnight. She looked much older and she mentally kicked herself for being silly but her aunt looked wiser too.

"Teresa…I…" she struggled and then cleared her throat. "Your mother…she was an amazing woman. She paused for a bit and looked up at the roof as if reminiscing her times with her sister. "Martha…she was the rock in our family." Lisbon's attention was on her aunt now. "Our mother…your grandma…"she said and looked at Lisbon. "She passed away when we were very young. Martha was about 14 and I was 8. I was a little girl then. I would miss mother so much…but at the end of the day, Martha was there. We…your mother and I…we had an understanding. I messed up and she cleared up. I was the crazy one…" Aunt Nettie chuckled as she stared at the roof once again. "And she was always the grounded one…She would straighten out the things I did wrong and I made her feel alive…atleast that is what she used to say." At that point, Lisbon was not sure what to think. She was still mad at her aunt but she loved how fondly her aunt talked about her mother. "I would tell her all about the men in my life and she would give me the right advice. She was there when my first child was born; she was there when my first husband died. She was also there when I was devastated after I gave away Valerie…and then…" Aunt Nettie trailed off. Lisbon saw a tear flow down her aunt's cheeks as she shook a little. Lisbon was taken aback by this sudden show of emotion. "And then one day I realize she is never coming back…" Lisbon looked up and saw her aunt crying. She reached up to comfort her but decided against it as she remembered that she was still upset with her.

"Teresa…you were not the only one who lost your mother that night. I lost my mother too…" Her aunt concluded painfully. Lisbon could feel a lump in her throat. Her eyes stung as tears formed in them. "That time when you needed me the most, I wasn't there, because I was struggling with this loss as well. I was devastated. My whole world was taken away in a blink of an eye and I had no right to complain because I relied on her too much." Lisbon let her tears flow freely as she now moved closer to her aunt and gently rubbed her back. "I am so sorry I was not there with you, baby…" Aunt Nettie said and looked at Lisbon with her eyes full of genuine tears. Lisbon shook her head in trying to explain to her aunt that it does not matter.

"It's ok Aunt Nettie…" Lisbon said as she hugged her aunt who readily hugged her back tightly. "We both lost someone we loved that night. I should have understood how you felt. I am so sorry for all the hurtful things I said to you. I didn't know what you were going through. I am so sorry…" Lisbon trailed off. Now it was her aunt's turn to shake her head in denial that it was Lisbon's fault. She broke apart from the embrace and cupped Lisbon's chin.

"No my dear. It was no one's fault. I am just so glad that I got my niece back. You are my only reminder of your mother. And I felt betrayed when she died. I felt that she left me alone. That is why I could never be nice to you: Because you reminded me so much of her. You were so perfect and such a good girl." Aunt Nettie said as she hugged Lisbon once again. Lisbon could feel emotions building up inside of her. It was like a river let loose. She cried so hard that her aunt held her tight and shushed her. She rubbed her back and told her that everything was going to be alright. The dark time was over and it was a new beginning for all of them. When they broke apart this time, Lisbon resumed her position on the couch.

"You know…you are so much like Martha. A spitting image of her, actually. And you are as responsible as she was. The way you took care of your brothers is how she took care of me. I am so proud of you, baby…" She reached out and kissed Lisbon on her forehead. "And as for Tara, if she were even a quarter of what you were, I would have been really proud of her. All that she possessed was physical beauty. And that was the only thing about her that I took pride in." This confession humbled Lisbon so much that she found herself awkwardly staring at the floor. "Tara is a younger version of myself and you are a younger version of your mother. If she were here, she would have been very proud of you. In fact, if you were my daughter, the world wouldn't hear the enough of it. I would have showed you off to everyone."

"I still am your daughter…" Lisbon said and looked beamingly at her aunt. Her aunt seemed to have been overjoyed by that. She enveloped Lisbon in a bone crushing hug again and said:

"Yes, you are. You are my baby!" Lisbon hugged back her aunt. Then as if on cue, the phone in her pocket vibrated. She broke her hug and looked apologetically at her aunt, who smiled back at her. Lisbon wiped off her tears and flipped open her phone.

"Yes Rigsby…" she answered. There was a pause as she listened to what he said. "Oh yeah…I am fine. Just a little flu." She lied and smiled at her aunt. "Ummm…right now?" She asked and looked at her aunt while listening to him. Aunt Nettie smiled and nodded at her, motioning her to carry on with her work. She covered the phone with her hands and asked her aunt whether she will be ok on her own till the taxi arrives. Her aunt nodded in approval and she then told Rigsby that she was on her way. "Sorry Aunt Nettie…" she said as soon as she disconnected. "I have to go. There is a case."

"It's ok dear. I will be fine. Don't worry about me." She said happily. Lisbon reached down and hugged her one final time.

"Thank you so much for this. I feel like I have a family once again." Lisbon said and waved goodbye at her aunt and started to walk away.

"Hey Terry…" Aunt Nettie called out and Lisbon turned back to look at her. "Patrick is a nice man. And handsome too…I would approve of him if you ever wanted to…" Lisbon opened her mouth to say something but her aunt interrupted. "I know…he is your colleague, you are just friends…etcetera…but I know you really like him. I can see it in your eyes." Lisbon was once again caught unaware by this but once again, her aunt interrupted. "You turn all shades of pink when I talk about him. There is a way in which you smile when you think about him…It is a sign. All I am saying is if possible, give it a try. You two would look good together." Lisbon was totally bowled out by that. She had nothing more to say to her aunt. She nodded slightly and smiled.

"Bye Aunt Terry. Call me as soon as you get home…" Lisbon said as she opened the door of her house.

"Bye dear. I love you!" Aunt Nettie said. Lisbon paused for a bit at the door then said:

"I love you too!" she walked out as she closed the main door behind her. She was in deep thought as she sat in her car. 'Why would Aunt Nettie think I like Jane? That is totally ridiculous! And what is this thing about me turning pink and smiling? She is totally hallucinating. Just then, her phone vibrated once again. She flipped it open and saw Jane's name in the caller ID. She answered the phone as she looked at herself in the rear view mirror for damp spots from all the crying.

"Hi Jane!" She answered cheerfully. She didn't want him to notice that her voice was any different. He was so brilliant in noticing things, especially about her.

"Someone sounds very cheerful today…" Jane said at the other hand.

"Really?" She asked and sniffed by mistake.

"Have you been crying? I knew you sounded a little odd with the cheerful 'hi Jane!' you are not a morning person". Lisbon frowned at her reflection.

"I have not been crying. What is wrong with you?" Lisbon asked, irritated.

"No, what is wrong with you? Did you have a fight with Aunt Nettie?"

"No!" Lisbon exclaimed.

"Ah! You made up! Aunt and niece bonding over the death of one Martha Lisbon!" Jane said thoughtfully.

"What? That is not true!" Lisbon shouted.

"Ah, but it is. Why deny it? You know I have access to your innermost thoughts!"

"Please Jane! Not again with that crap! How do you know this?" Lisbon said.

"I told you…I have access to your…" Jane started off but Lisbon sighed and cut the phone.

"Damn it Jane!" Lisbon said out loud. Just then, she received a text message. It was from Jane. It read: 'Do not curse me. I can't help it that I have skills!' Lisbon read it and smiled. She shook her head and looked at her herself in the mirror once again. There it was! The smile that her aunt talked about and her cheeks were pink indeed. Lisbon stared at herself, horrified. She rubbed her cheeks profusely in an attempt to get rid of the pink. She frowned at herself in the mirror but an image of the familiar blond hair and the cheeky smile came to her mind and she hopelessly smiled at her own image in the mirror. She realized what was happening to her and she shook her head desperately to get that image out of her head. "Oh God, Aunt Nettie! Please No! I hate you, Jane! I hate you!" She shouted at her phone before adjusting the rear view mirror in the right position and driving away.

A NOTE OF THANKS TO TYGERTYGERCRIMSONTEARS(i love you), JISBONSHIPPERAT-HEART AND JESSICALON-7 FOR YOUR REVIEWS...

THIS ENCOURAGEMENT IS ALL I NEED.

ALSO THANKS TO ALL THE FOLLOWS!

HOPE YOU LOVE THIS CHAPTER AND AS USUAL, R&R PLZZZZZZZZ


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